VIII. 



PREPARING SPECIMENS FOR THE CABINET 

 AND HERBARIUM. 



THE student who is in earnest about the study of the 

 mosses will find a great advantage in having a series of 

 well-authenticated specimens always ready for microscopi- 

 cal examination. As much time will be lost if these speci- 

 mens have to be dissected whenever they are required for 

 comparison (and this will often occur at starting), it is well 

 to have as complete a series as opportunity will allow, per- 

 manently prepared for the microscope. 



My own plan has been this : whenever I have received 

 a specimen from an authority, or had my own specimen 

 confirmed by authority, to at once mount a portion of this 

 specimen, to label it with its proper scientific name, putting 

 on the label the name of the moss, the authority, locality, and 

 the number as given in the " London Catalogue of British 

 Mosses." These moss slides I keep in a separate cabinet, 

 placed in proper sequence, and each drawer in the cabinet 

 has the first and last number of the species contained 

 marked on the outside, so that I can at once find any slide 

 I want. I have found this practice of greatest service. 



To some of my readers it may be useful to give my own 

 plan of preparing these specimens. I will therefore endeavour 

 to give in a few words my own modus operand/. I may first 

 state that I use the 3x1 inch glass slips, and the f glass 

 circles for my cover glasses. These can be obtained from 

 most opticians at small cost. The moss to be mounted 

 should first be well washed, to get rid of any dirt that may 

 adhere to it ; then, if recently gathered, soaked in tepid 

 water ; but if an old specimen, it will probably require to 

 be boiled for a second in a test tube, to get rid of all air 



